CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Stephany Murray worked as an administrative assistant for 20 years. Days for her and her two children were usually jam-packed.
What You Need To Know
According to a recent Goodwill and Charlotte Works survey for working parents in the Charlotte metro area, 94% of participants said they’re willing to switch industries in order to work remotely.
That survey revealed out of the 200 respondents, 96% said health and well-being mattered most when considering a job
Stephanie Murray worked as an administrative assistant for 20 years and finally switched careers last year to have more time for her children
North Carolina parents saw nearly a 20% increase in infant and toddler child care costs, according to Lending Tree
“We were up and out at 5:30 in the morning,” she said. “We didn’t get home until 6 or 6:30.”
After dinner and homework their day didn’t end until about 9 p.m.
Murray had a heart attack in 2017, which she says was stress-induced.
According to a Goodwill and Charlotte Works survey of working parents in the Charlotte metro area, a majority of participants want to switch industries to be able to work remotely, and 96% said health and well-being matter most when considering a new job.
Once the pandemic hit, Murray's salary didn’t keep pace with increasing child care costs. She says after-school care went from $80 a week before the pandemic to $120 in 2020.
The thought of not having enough money for a 50% price jump in child care costs led to even more health complications for Murray.
“I was swelling. I was having issues with my blood pressure, because I was just so worried about just everything,” she said.
That swelling made it hard to leave the house, forcing her to work from home or call out altogether, making it even harder to pay for child care.
“Am I going to have money to pay for it this week?” she wondered. “Because you know I was sick, or didn’t get to work, and so my paycheck was short.”
Murray’s job decided to let her go in spring of 2020, and she decided to leave the industry in search of a remote job that would help her get her health on track and spend more time with her kids.
“Being a single mom, I’m all they have,” she said. “So, I have to try to make sure that I’m taking care of myself, so I can take care of them.”
In fact, most Charlotte parents are willing to do the same thing.
That Goodwill survey also revealed 86% of the working parents who participated said they’re actively looking for a new job or are open to new opportunities.
Last fall Murray landed her dream job.
“I get to get off work and go take them to the pool. There’s a pool right up the street. And things like that that I was just too tired to do,” she said.
She says that was made possible with information technology training from Goodwill, which certified her to work as an engineering analyst, making more money as a fully remote employee.